SUGAR BUZZ® Grape Gumball Bee Balm

One of the best cultivars of a native Bergamot, SUGAR BUZZ® Grape Gumball Bee Balm (Monarda x 'Grape Gumball') is a winner in any garden! This variety boasts a top-notch shape, performance, color, and long-lasting flowering display.

In other words, this is an improved selection of native Monarda. SUGAR BUZZ® is a modern natural selection developed for today's smaller yards. It stays nice and compact, with sturdy, square-shaped, and upright stems, Grape Gumball Bee Balm won't droop or sag. The plant develops a nice branching structure and a pert, rounded form.

Because this plant is perennial, it will come back for you year after year. The showy, mid-summer blooms get better and better each year as part of your long-lasting landscape display. It blooms a long time in summer, and the lush, dark green foliage fills out all the way to the ground. You'll love its spicy-sweet fragrance when the leaves are crushed!

Richly colored, tubular flowers are held in dense, terminal clusters. Because the flower has both an upper and lower lip, it is a very attractive nectar resource. Hummingbirds, honeybees and butterflies can't get enough of these vibrant magenta blooms!

Landscape Application:

Love the color purple? Rely on these as a mainstay in your perennial border. Plant a long, meandering "ribbon" of that enticing hue all along the middle of a planting bed.

Go all out, and create massed plantings to really send a message. This lets your neighborhood know that you support our critical beneficial pollinators, it clearly shows off your impeccable taste! Space them 12 inches apart, measuring from the center of one to the center of the next. Simply add additional rows to cover a wider area, planted in a zigzagging, staggered pattern.

Dress Grape Gumball up with special edging plants like the DAZZLEBERRY® Sedum series, or a low hedge of well-behaved, three-season Ground Hog Aronia. Or, take out the front lawn and create a marvelously jumbled Cottage Garden. You'll love having fun by pairing them with other varieties from the SUGAR BUZZ® collection, or complement that rich purple shade with the cheery yellow blooms of Black-Eyed Susans!

Nectar-rich Monarda is a mainstay in Butterfly Gardens. Use your sun and soil to create a sustainable, ecologically friendly habitat. Grape Gumball makes your efforts look great, too! This is also a great plant to include near your herb and veggie gardens. Grow them in-ground, or use them as dramatic "Fillers" in large, seasonal containers. Attract pollinators to your veggie patch or fruiting trees for a larger harvest.

Don't be without these useful and absolutely gorgeous compact Monarda for your Butterfly Garden and near your Victory Garden. You'll love the intricate shape and bold color of these nectar-rich flowers!

For a real treat, cut some of the wonderfully intricate blooms for indoor arrangements. Plant plenty of Grape Gumball in your cutting garden, so you can share with the hummingbirds.

Renting and don't have a "landscape"? Plant them in containers to decorate your sunny entryway, balcony, deck or patio.

Robust and so charming, this is a perfect plant for beginners. Hint, hint...this is a perfect gift idea for ecologically savvy friends and loved ones!

• Fabulous Magenta Purple Blooms
• Flowers Attract Beneficial Pollinators
• Provides Nectar for Butterflies, Hummingbirds & Bees
• Compact, Uniform Shape
• Dark Green Foliage is Fragrant When Crushed
• Specimens & Focal Points, Borders, Edging, Containers & Massing

#ProPlantTips for Care:

Give Grape Gumball Bee Balm at least four hours of sunlight. The more sun, the better! They need well-drained soil, plenty of good air circulation and a moderate amount of water on a regular schedule. Water is especially important during the first year as it gets established in your yard. Make it part of your routine to check your containers daily.

Total newbie? Please see our videos and blog posts on watering. You'll have to find the right balance between too much water and too little water. The easiest way to tell when you need to water your plant is to use the "Finger Test". Pat down under the surface of the soil, just like the pros do. Is the soil still moist? Skip watering that day, and check again tomorrow. Is it getting dry? Time to water deeply.

Apply a three-inch layer of mulch around your plant, but make sure to pull it back from the stems. Mulch cuts down on surface evaporation and will improve your soil over time. Featuring an above-average resistance to powdery mildew, plant Bee Balm in a location with good air circulation. In late fall after several hard frosts, cut and remove all debris from the plant.

• Performs in Full Sun or Partial Shade
• Widely Adaptable In Well-Drained Soil
• Moderate To Low Moisture Needs
• Clump Form Won't Spread Aggressively
• Easy-Care, Well-Behaved Plants - Prune Back In Late Fall
• Above Average Resistance to Powdery Mildew
• Deer & Rabbits Don't Prefer The Taste

Grape Gumball, like all the SUGAR BUZZ® series, is an excellent choice for modern yards. This selection of a plant that is native to North America will knock your socks off every year! Don't miss out on the clear purple tones and the excellent performance of SUGAR BUZZ® Grape Gumball Bee Balm. Order several today at NatureHills.com!